DJI Air 3S Release Date Rumors & Latest Leaks

DJI have a very promising future ahead of them: from the arrival of the DJI Neo, and even a potential new mirrorless camera on the way, it’s a good time to be a DJI fan. And with a prospective DJI Air 3S release date in the latest reports, we could be set to see even more before the year is out. But what can we expect from the DJI Air 3S when it does arrive?

DJI Air 3S Release Date Rumors

Our suspicions about an Air 3S release date in the near future have been raised by a recent leak highlighting the packaging for the prospective drone. A post by leaker @JasperEllens on Twitter gave us not only our first look at the 3S, but some tidbits on its production pipeline:

Here we go again. After the NEO we will also see the #DJIAIR3S in what, October? Today we see the #leaked box, also sold with the #RCN3, the same RC the Neo will be sold with. More leaks will follow I am sure. Cheers

Source: Jasper Ellens Twitter

Though Ellens questions whether October is a feasible release date, the fact that we are seeing leaks of packaging highlights that the drone is far down the production pipeline. Given DJI’s generally fast turnaround between announcement and public release, an October release date doesn’t sound too unrealistic to us.

Further fuel was added to the first today when Ellens followed up with confirmation that the FCC reports regarding the Air 3S had been filed, and highlighted the labeling for the new drone:

Source: @JasperEllens on Twitter

Simultaneously, what appears to be the first product landing page has been found by user @MauroTandoi:

Source: @MauroTandoi on Twitter

As Ellens says, this is effectively the starting pistol for a product launch, which he stipulates could be early November.  However, sources conflict on when we can expect to get this drone off the ground, with Tandoi claiming October to be the more likely launch. Given the teaser and trailer schedule we’ve seen this month for the DJI Neo and DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, we can expect a similar marketing strategy.

But with that in mind, the Osmo Action 5 Pro is the next product on the line, with a launch slated for the 19th September. That means we likely aren’t going to get any word on the Air 3S for the next few weeks. But mid-October is still a distinct possibility - or worst-case, early November. We’re leaning more towards the former, given the flurry of leaks.

DJI Air 3S Potential Specs

In terms of what the Air 3S will look like - beyond the image on the packaging - we have less to go on. The design highlights the standard quadcopter style of the DJI Air range, but it is seemingly paired with a new wireless remote control. What sort of features this new style offers are difficult to parse from the packaging alone.

It does appear that the drone camera itself is a little larger, and attached to a more substantial gimbal for improved stability in flight. How this will affect weight - and more importantly, speed - is of course unknown, but we imagine it will be a fair tradeoff. But given the “3S” moniker rather than this being a “DJI Air 4”, the improvements are likely to be entirely internal for the new drone.

We haven’t got a huge wishlist, given that the Air 3 is already an impressive drone, but we’re expecting a potentially more powerful battery and some more intelligent onboard software. An upgraded version of the Active Track feature, which is impressive as a standalone, via new AI-based algorithms could make the Air 3S smarter. With the recent launch of the Neo, we saw a whole suite of voice-activated and AI-based new modes for smarter and more accessible drone photography.

Here are the specifications for the current DJI Air 3:

As we say, we don’t think these particulars will be subject to much change - but we could potentially see some alterations. Perhaps a slightly larger (in terms of physical size) sensor for better light-reading capabilities, and the chance of a slightly modified lens; but we’re keeping our predictions limited there.

DJI has kept quiet regarding the particulars of this drone for now, but we can expect a formal teaser in the coming weeks. After a quiet start to the year, DJI is slowly playing its many releases out over the final months of 2024. Will you be picking up a DJI drone before Christmas?